Small Business Marketing – Don’t Make These Copy Mistakes

Your Top 5 Copywriting Don’ts

Just as there are certain things you should always incorporate into web copywriting there are some things that should be avoided. Certain mistakes can be deal-breakers for your potential customers. Here are five things to look out for when you are writing copy.

1. Don’t focus on product features. This may sound counterproductive but features are not what will sell your product. The benefits of your product will. Focusing on what a product can do for your potential customers will create a need for your product. This need will result in more sales.

For example, let’s say you are selling automated budgeting software. This software can take the information you give it and compare multiple different scenarios. Instead of just stating that fact think of a way to state it as a benefit for the customer. “This software makes budgeting a cinch by allowing you to compare multiple scenarios automatically,” for example.

2. Don’t write in an overly complicated manner. Using big words will turn your reader off and might even confuse them. Simple yet powerful words used in short, easy to read sentences and paragraphs get your point across much more effectively.

Don’t go overboard with the adjectives and adverbs. While these are an important part of a successful sales campaign, it’s easy to get carried away with them. Instead of using more words use more powerful words.

3. Don’t go off on a tangent. Stick to the subject at hand and don’t stray too far from it. While throwing in a story from your own experience can add a personal touch to your writing, don’t forget what you’re writing about. Doing so will cause you to lose your readers and losing your readers means losing sales.

4. Don’t be vague. Readers are much more impressed with specifics than they are with vague generalizations. The use of statistics and real figures makes your writing much easier to identify with. Real-life examples of people who have benefited from your product take that a step further.

Which would be more impressive to you? “People make a lot more money using this system than they did without it,” or “Sue Jones increased her profits by 75% using our system”?

5. Don’t overuse “is” and other forms of “to be.” These are not action words and they do nothing to excite the reader. If you find yourself using these words in a sentence try to come up with a way to say the same thing using action words. If you can find a way to do so while still making sense, it can result in a much more positive response.

For example, instead of “Our product is the highest in performance of its kind,” you could try “Our product outperforms all others of its kind.” Don’t forget to back it up, as shown above.

The purpose of copywriting is to sell something. Successful salespeople are not dull and boring. They engage the consumer, hold her attention and create a need for the product. By remembering what causes readers to go elsewhere and avoiding it, you can do the same.